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Admission & Aid

Applications for the 2019 cycle of the Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology will be due December 1st. If you have any questions, please email phd@suffolk.edu. The 2019 interviews for candidates will be scheduled on either Friday or Saturday in late February/early March. Invitations to attend interview weekend will be sent via email in late January.

As a member of the Council of University Directors of Clinical Training (CUDCP), the Clinical Psychology program at Suffolk University adheres to CUDCP’s policies and guidelines for graduate school admissions, offers, and acceptance. For additional information about these policies, please see the Summary of CUDCP Policy for Graduate School Offers and Acceptances. More information about clinical psychology and application tips also can be found at clinicalpsychgradschool.org, offered by CUDCP.

Admission Requirements

PhD Program in Clinical Psychology

The following is a list of faculty who will be accepting a student for Fall 2018. This list has been updated as of September 25, 2017 and is subject to change. Please note-we will not be accepting any new applications for the Clinical Respecialization Certificate for the Fall 2018 start date.

Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to the Clinical Psychology Program to work toward the PhD degree only; the program does not offer a terminal master's degree. If you have any questions, please email phd@suffolk.edu. Approximately 8-12 full-time students will be admitted to the program each fall. There are no spring semester admissions in this program.

Unlike other graduate programs at Suffolk, the Psychology Department does not host open-house events for prospective applicants. However, we do offer 1-2 online information sessions, organized through the Office of Graduate Admissions. This year's information sessions are currently scheduled for Thursday 9/14/2017 and Monday 10/30/2017 from 5:00pm-6:30pm. For more information on these information sessions, please visit the Graduate Admissions website.

Students wishing to apply for admission must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and must complete the Suffolk University Graduate Admission Application Form. Please note that you may now submit your application online. All applicants should use the online application. All PhD applicants will also need to submit the Psychology Ph.D. Supplemental Form. This form is available as a Word document and is accessible via the online application. All transcripts should be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions, 73 Tremont St., 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02108.

Students must submit official scores on the general aptitude (verbal, quantitative, and analytic or analytical writing) sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); the advanced psychology subject test is not required, but is recommended for applicants who do not hold an undergraduate degree in psychology. The Suffolk University GRE code is 3771. There is no separate GRE code for the Psychology Department; please use 3771 to code all scores.

NOTE: Students who score less than the 50th percentile on either the GRE verbal or the GRE quantitative sections have little chance of admission in the absence of compelling compensating factors. In addition, a GRE writing score of 4.0 or higher is typically a prerequisite for admission. In addition, most of our admitted applicants carry a psychology GPA of at least 3.5.

Special attention should be paid to the personal statement, which should include all relevant background experience (in both research and clinical settings), academic interests, professional goals, and potential mentors. Applicants should specifically identify and describe those portions of their experience and professional goals that they believe make them well-suited to this program and the faculty with whom they would like to work. In addition, the program is dedicated to training clinical psychologists who will have competency working with diverse populations. We encourage applicants to address any interest and/or experiences they have with regard to this issue.

Two letters of recommendation are required for all applicants. Recommendations can be submitted electronically through the online application process or directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions at Suffolk University (please see the application for more details). The recommender should use institutional letterhead when available. Recommendation letters will not be accepted from any third-party agencies. Recommenders should include their full name, title, and a phone number where we can contact them if necessary. Applicants' first and last names should be included in the letter.

Applicants must have completed a minimum of five courses in psychology, preferably including courses in both statistics and research methods. Though not required, the program values the additional evidence of maturity, competence, and capacity for responsibility that comes from a broad range of work and life experiences. Thus, many students admitted to the program have engaged, after college, in both supervised psychological research and some type of supervised work in a clinical setting.

Please note that while sealed materials (transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.) will be accepted with application materials, they must remain unopened. This method is strongly encouraged. These materials can certainly be sent directly to Suffolk University; however, it does create the potential for your credentials to be lost in the mail or otherwise not collected into your application package. The occurrence of this is rare, but it does happen, and may delay your application materials from being received by the deadline.

International applicants must submit successful completion of the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE-Academic.

The Ph.D. program receives approximately 300 applications each year. We thoroughly review these and invite 75-80 candidates to Suffolk University for an interview weekend. All applicants invited to interview are strongly encouraged to attend in person at that time. Interview Weekend 2018 will be held Friday, March 2nd and Saturday, March 3rd. Due to the size of the applicant pool, department faculty will generally not conduct interviews with applicants who have not been invited to interview. However, the department holds two information sessions during the fall semester to meet applicants and address questions.

Final admission decisions will be made by April 15th.

Upon acceptance, each student will be assigned a program advisor. This advisor will guide the student over the course of his or her graduate education, helping to plan course work as well as discuss research and clinical opportunities.

Applicants interested in further information on the qualifications of admitted students should consult the full disclosure data page. This page also details the program's graduation outcomes and student internship application success.

Beginning in 2004, the President of Suffolk University authorized the Psychology Department to award up to two, full-tuition fellowships based on commitment to study and treat people from culturally diverse and under-served populations. Please see the OUTREACH Fellowship page for more information.

Funding

The Office of the Bursar is your best resource for getting information about your financial aid award. The material below is provided as a helpful guide specifically for students in the doctoral program in clinical psychology. However, if there are inconsistencies between this information and that provided to you by the Office of the Bursar, the Bursar's Office ruling stands.

Tuition and Program Costs

Tuition

Tuition rates change yearly. Current rates can be found here. All financial aid awards include an automatic grant for Fall and Spring semesters equal to 50% of tuition charges for the first three years of full time study (or 72 credits of required course work, whichever comes first). Students who transfer credit for prior coursework will likely reach the 72 credit limit of the 50% tuition grant prior to the end of the third year of full time study. In this situation, students have two options: 1) registering for less than a full-time course load for one or more semesters (students could still be considered as making satisfactory progress), or 2) maintaining a full-time course load each semester and paying full-tuition for all credit beyond 72 hours during the first three years. Registering for less than a full-time course load may have consequences outside of the doctoral program (please see the Doctoral Program Manual, section Residency Requirements, for further details).

After the first three years of full time study, students must remain continuously enrolled in the program, paying for at least one credit per semester until they have graduated. The 50% tuition reduction will no longer apply after year three.

Additional expenses

Other university and program related costs include books, professional liability insurance (required for students on practicum and internship) and health insurance (required by the State of Massachusetts; students without private insurance can purchase insurance through Suffolk University.

Financial Aid

New students normally receive notification from the Office of the Bursar regarding their financial aid package by April of the preceding academic year. Award offers are extended on a “rolling basis” as students are admitted to the program and aid applications become complete. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their FAFSA as soon as it’s available on the web (January 1st). The Psychology Department due date for FAFSA filing is April 1st. Graduate aid application information is available here.

Employment Opportunities

Some students may be eligible for work-study on the basis of financial need. Eligibility for work-study is determined by the Student Financial Services Office after students complete a financial aid application process. Regardless of the source of funding, no student employed by the university may work more than 20 hours per week during the academic year.

Students may also pursue other university employment opportunities without applying for federal aid. Specifically, students may apply for Administrative Fellowships, Research Assistantship positions within the department and across the university, and Lab Instructor, Lecturer and Course Assistant positions within the Psychology Department.

Administrative Fellowships

Administrative fellowships are highly competitive positions within different departments and university offices across campus. Fellowship responsibilities vary from department to department but might include research, office tasks, data input, customer service initiatives, etc. In the past fellowships have been available in Student Activities, Admissions, Athletics, Office of Institutional Planning and Research, Ballotti Learning Center, Student Financial Services, and Career Planning/Placement among others.

Applicants must be proactive and apply directly to each department/office that has a fellowship for which the student would like to be considered and hiring decisions are made by the department/office holding the fellowship. As a service to students, each April, the Student Financial Services Office compiles a listing of fellowship positions available for the following academic year. Unfortunately, this list is not updated as the positions are filled. Students interested in pursuing these positions are urged to begin applying as soon as the list is available.

Administrative fellowships offer recipients a $14,000 award in exchange for 16 hours of employment a week during the academic year (30 weeks). $7,200 of the administrative fellowship is credited directly to the recipient’s tuition account ($3,600 per semester): the remainder is paid to the student bi-weekly as hours are worked.

Administrative fellowships are limited to 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students.

Research Assistantships

The College of Arts and Sciences has a research assistantship program that is aimed at supporting faculty research. Interested faculty members submit a competitively reviewed proposal to obtain an RA to work on a specific research project or projects. Students who are hired through the RA program cannot work on their own masters or dissertation research as part of their RA duties.

1st, 2nd and 3rd year students are responsible for independently pursuing RA positions. The department maintains a list of faculty members within the Psychology Department who have funding to hire an RA. Students can apply to be RAs for their faculty mentor, for another faculty member in the department, or for someone outside of the psychology department. A list of approved RA positions is posted to the financial aid section of the university website in late July.

Unlike fellowships, RA positions do not include grant funds. Students may work up to 10 hours a week during the academic year. The current graduate student hourly rate is $16.00.

For more information on positions available for advanced student, please see the Doctoral Program Manual.

OUTREACH Fellowship

The Outreach Fellowship in the Clinical Doctoral Program at Suffolk University aims to enhance the field of clinical psychology by supporting students who are committed to serving traditionally under-served populations in mental health throughout their career. The Fellowship will support 1-2 students in each cohort during their first 3 years of in-residence study.

Basic Eligibility & Criteria:

Fellows must meet the minimum requirements for satisfactory academic standing and make timely progress for all training milestones as outlined by the Doctoral Program Manual.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

Applicants must be applying for the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology

Procedure:

Up to two fellowships are available for incoming Ph.D. students. Candidates should submit a 500-word essay that discusses their eligibility for and interest in the fellowship. Finalists will be interviewed by members of the Psychology Department. If you have questions about applying for an Outreach fellowship, please contact Katie Bolgioni in the Psychology Department (kbolgioni@suffolk.edu or 617-305-1921).

Terms & Responsibilities of Fellows:

Fellows must demonstrate through a brief written report how their activities through coursework, research, and practicum training have focused on under-served populations. The report will be submitted to the Outreach Committee Chair (currently, Dr. Amy Marks) by May 30 of each year.

To support the Fellow’s work, research mentors are expected to mentor students’ independent and collaborative research to focus on underserved populations. The Fellow can also work with the Clinical Training Coordinator to identify clinical training experiences which will complement these goals.

Application Process:

Each winter during the admissions cycle, applicants to the Ph.D. program will be invited to apply for the Outreach Fellowship. A brief written essay will be requested in which the applicant will outline their past commitment to and future plans for serving under-served populations. Applicants’ essays will be reviewed by the department’s Outreach Committee, and awards will be offered as part of the general admissions process.

Applying for the OUTREACH Fellowship? Here are the four easy steps to submitting your application:

File your FAFSA at the start of the new year! Forms are available January 1st, and we ask that you submit yours by January 4, 2019. (We recommend estimating based on your W2 from the previous year if you have not yet received your most recent W2.)

Write a short (500-word) essay detailing your eligibility for and interest in the fellowship. Read the description on the application for suggestions and tips!

Email your application form and your essay by January 4, 2019 to Katie Bolgioni at kbolgioni@suffolk.edu. You can also fax your form and essay to 617-367-2924 or mail to Suffolk University Psychology Department, 73 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02108.

If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact Katie Bolgioni.

When is the program's application deadline?

All application materials must be submitted online or postmarked to the Office of Graduate Admission by December 1st.

Can I set up an informational interview?

We have many applicants every year, and, unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests for individual informational interviews. However, we do hold several online information sessions in the fall. For more information please visit the Graduate Admissions website. We also encourage all prospective students to fully explore our website, as we have posted a great deal about our program.

What is the difference between a Ph.D. and a Psy.D. program?

Our program leads students to a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Ours is a Boulder-model program that equally emphasizes both research and clinical aspects of psychology to produce competent scientist-practitioners. Most Ph.D. programs incorporate elements of research and clinical training in their curricula. In contrast, Psy.D. programs typically train students in a practitioner model and focus on clinical aspects of training.

How long will this program take?

Our program involves three years of full-time study, one year of full-time internship, and a dissertation. Full-time students may be able to finish all program requirements within five years. For specific data on time to completion, please see our Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data report.

What qualifications are you looking for in an applicant?

We do not believe that there is a "typical" Ph.D. student, and so we cannot describe a "typical" successful applicant. However, we have outlined some general guidelines on the Admissions Requirements Page.

Do you have a minimum GRE/GPA score?

As noted in the question above, we cannot describe a "typical" candidate, and this extends to both GRE and GPA scores. These scores are examined in the context of a candidate's entire application. We have found that students with a combined GRE verbal and quantitative score of less than 1200 or a psychology GPA of less than 3.5 are less likely to be admitted, but this is not always the case, especially in the presence of extenuating or compensating factors. Please feel free to discuss any perceived discrepancies between your scores and your abilities in your personal statement. For specific data on GPA and test scores of previous incoming cohorts, please see our Student Admissions, Outcomes, and Other Data report.

Is an interview required? Is a telephone interview acceptable?

A select group of applicants will be contacted in late January to attend an Interview Weekend to be held in late February. The interview is an important part of the application process, and selected candidates should make every effort to attend. However, if scheduling conflicts or expense will prevent you from making a trip to Suffolk, a phone interview may be arranged. A telephone interview will not negatively impact an application.

Where do I send my application paperwork?

All application paperwork should be submitted directly to the Office of Graduate Admission.

What courses can I transfer in?

Once a student has been accepted into the program, he or she may file a petition to transfer credit with the Director of Undergraduate and Graduate Studies. Transfer requests are evaluated on an individual basis and credit is ordinarily given only for courses whose content is similar to those offered within our own program. Please see here for the Request for Transfer of Graduate Credit form.

Is graduate housing available?

Suffolk does not provide housing for its graduate students. Any student interested in obtaining assistance in locating housing in the Boston area can contact our Office of Off-Campus Housing at (617) 573-8647. Additionally, graduate students may choose to apply for Resident Assistant (RA) position in one of our undergraduate dorms. RAs fulfill many duties in the areas of student development, programming, and administration, and they receive housing free of charge as compensation.

Can you tell me why I wasn't accepted into the program?

Our department receives 300+ applications each year. Unfortunately, the large volume of applications keeps us from providing individualized feedback to applicants.

Is it possible to take a graduate level psychology course if I'm not a student in the clinical psychology Ph.D. programs?

Prospective non-matriculated students interested in taking a graduate level course in the Psychology Department should contact the faculty member teaching the course via email for consent. Course offerings can be found on our Courses page.

When permission is obtained, the graduate Continuing and Professional Studies (CAPS) application should be submitted along with the email from the faculty member. The application is posted on the University's website and can be found here.

What kind of funding/financial aid can I expect from Suffolk?

Three forms of aid are available to Psychology Ph.D. and Respecialization students and include grants, employment, and loans. Details about these forms of aid are listed under the Funding tab on this page.

After the first three years of full-time study, what can I expect to pay for tuition?

Students who have completed all course and practicum work and who are engaged in predoctoral internship should register for PSYCH 801, Doctoral Internship. Students who have completed all course work and are engaged in doctoral dissertation work (or dissertation work + advanced practicum, PSYCH 777), should register for PSYCH 000, Advanced Dissertation Residency. These advanced student courses are intended for those students working full time on their dissertations or internship training. Students at this level will receive no fellowship aid. Tuition for PSYCH 000 and PSYCH 801 is presently set at the cost of one credit hour per semester. These students will have full access to privileges, services, and facilities and will retain full-time status. Tuition rates and cost per credit can be found through the Office of the Bursar.